Waterproofing element



Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL SCHUTTE, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLIRTKOTECOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WATERPROOFING ELEMENT.

No Drawing. Original application filed September 4,1920, Serial No.408,210. Ibivided and this application filed September 26, 1921. SerialNo. 503,360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL SCHUTTE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Rutherford, county of Bergen, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Waterproofing Elements, of which the followingis a specification.

his invention relates to improvements in shingles and refersmore'particularly'to an asphalt strip shingle or individual shingle madeof saturated felt which is usually provided with an asphalt coating anda granular facing.

This application is a divisional application of an originalapplication'file'd by me September 4th, 1920, Serial No. 408,210.

The object of the invention is to provide a shingle element of the typereferred to which will have a waterproof seal back.

I have discovered from many teststhat I have made that-the ordinaryasphalt shingles will absorb water and in particular that thisabsorption of water occurs through the unooated backs andexposed edgesof the felt shingle. This absorption of water is naturally objectionableas it has a tendency to introduce curling and induce expansion andcontraction of the roofing element as its content of water or moisturevaries.

I have found that by coating the backs of the shingles with a-waterproofbituminous composition, I reduce to a minimum the amount of waterabsorption and more specfically I do this by coating the back of theshingle with an emulsified bituminous composition. This emulsifiedbituminous com position consists of a non-adhesive emulsified matrix ofasphalt, water and colloidal clay such, for example, as may be preparedin accordance with the Patent No. 1,302,810, issued to LesterKirschbraun. This emulsified matrix is made by first mixing an aqueousaste of water and colloidal clay and to this I gradually add the asphaltin melted or liquid form, in the meantime agitating the mixture so thatit will produce an emulsion in which the water forms the continuous orexternal phase and the asphalt the dispersed or internal phase.This'asphalt is preferably a fairly hi h melting point asphalt so as toprevent t e shingles from stickin in the package. This asphalt may beairlown asphalt of approximately 200 melting'point and approximately 10penetration. Instead of usin air-blown asphalt, I may use a mixture 0steam distilled as phalt and hard pitches as, for example, stearinepitches or other animal, vegetable or mineral pitches. It will beunderstood that the stiffness or consistency of this seal backing willbe varied to suit the character of the shingle; for example, a highermelting point backing may' be used where it is desirous of having a verystiflt shingle and a comparative amount of colloidal clay can beincorporated into the backing when it is desired to obtain a combinationof nontackiness together with appreciable thickness. The shingleelements may be prepared in the following manner. I take ordinary dryroofing felt and run it through the asphalt saturating tank in the usualway. I then pass the saturated felt over a roller which is revolving ina pan or other receptacle containing the emulsified matrix referred to.The arrangement is such that a thin coating of the emulsion is appliedto the under surface of the saturated felt. It is'to be understood thatthis emulsion is cold and as this emulsified matrix is applied to thelower surface of the felt, the water is evaporated and the asphaltcontained in the emulsion coalesces and forms a continuous waterprooffilm or coating over the bottom side of the saturated sheet. At the sametime, the. heat which is required forevapo-. rating the water isextracted from the hotsaturated felt. This not only results in thecoalescing of the asphalt but produces an-.

other very advantageous-result in that it of the saturated felt byapplication of the cold aqueous emulsion permits of very materiallyincreasin the output of the machine. This resu ts from the fact that inthe present method of forming asphalt shingles the production is limitedby the tem-' perature at which the shingle can be received and stacked.If they are stacked while too hot, they stick together. Moreover, ifthey are too hot while passing over theloopers, the sheet is too weak,resulting in numerous breaks and shutting down of the entire machinery.From the foregoing it will be seen that'I not only get a novel andbetter product but that there is a pronounced advantage in the operationof the process itself from the standpoint of out- It may be desirable incertain instances to sprinkle over this waterproof seal, powdered mica,talc or powdered slate to further decrease any tendency to sticking. Itmay also be noted that the waterproof seal referred to is preferablyless than of an inch thick and is usually only a few thousandths of aninch thick, the object being to produce a waterproof seal and not tobuild up the roofing.

seal comprising relatively thin coalesced bituminous film of asphalt andclay.

2. A shingle element consisting of asphalt saturated felt provided onone surface with an asphalt coating and on its other with a. waterproofseal comprising relatively thin coalesced bituminous film of asphalt andclay.

3. A waterproofing element consisting of saturated felt provided on oneside with a granular facing and on its other with a waterproof sealingcompound, the major portion of which compound consists of bitumen of adifferent character than that withwhich the felt is itself saturated.

-KARL SCHUTTE.

